I'm Westham 'Til I Die (A Pete Dunham FanFiction)
by ItsNotUItsE
Summary: Winona returns to England after spending years away in boarding school, and upon visiting Steve Dunham, she is faced with his infamous brother - Pete Dunham. Will Pete give Winona a reason to stay in England, or will letting him into her life be the worst decision she has ever made?
1. Chapter One : Oblivious

**Chapter One : Oblivious**

_**Author's note : Okay, I know these are really annoying but after this note, they'll all be at the end of the chapters. First off, thank you for choosing this story and I hope you enjoy it! Secondly, this basically follows the same plot as the film and explores Pete and the boys of the GSE's lives before Matt showed up and (I'm hoping) will create a brilliant romance fan fiction!**_

_**I hope you enjoy this story! Reviews would be grand! xo**_

_**P.S Apologies for the long-arse first chapter. Following ones will be shorter, promise :)**_

Pete threw a mighty punch to Frankie's right cheek, sending blood shooting out of his mouth and sending his body to the ground. Pete quickly threw himself onto the vulnerable man and threw another punch to his opposite cheek with the same velocity as his previous hit. His mind fogged out as he continued to throw his fist across the man's face without mercy, completely oblivious to the pain ringing out of his knuckles. He furiously threw his forehead onto Frankie's nose, hearing a crack, but nonchalantly continuing.

"Pete!" a familiar feminine voice - evidently riddled with fear and horror - caught his ear "Pete! Stop!" she screamed at him, draining the adrenalin rush from his body.

At first he didn't listen, and continued to throw a furious punch to Frankie's face, the sound of his teeth cracking under Pete's fists.

The sound of hurried footsteps was only processed in the part of his brain that wasn't tranced in his furious adrenalin rush, and the thought of stopping his assault was yet to become an option.

"Pete!" he felt the woman's voice closer to him, and a small hand tugging at his shoulder "Pete, it's the police!"

...

**3 hours earlier**

Winona traipsed down the sidewalk, the cold London air breezing through the waves of her chocolate coloured hair and raising goosebumps on all exposed parts of her skin. The unnerving stench of alcohol and drugs invaded her senses as a group of 13-year-old looking boys - dressed in Hammer shirts - chanted and cheered their way passed her, their wolf-whistling and hollering at her almost drowned out by their indistinguishable cheering.

She tried to understand why young kids felt the need to grow up so quickly, and immaturely at that. 12-year-old booze heads would be screwing about East London with no other intentions than getting munted and pissed out of their bloody tree and having a good ol' shag with a fit bird. See, she remembered being a teenager and doing unnecessary things to pass the time. Yet in a sense, she never grew up herself. She guessed she had Steve Dunham to thank for that.

It had been years since Winona saw Steve - one of her best mates. And although she intended to visit him on many occasions, he always seemed to be too caught up in starting his own family. However, going on 21, something told her that she needed to see him. Nonetheless, she understood that he had his ankle biter and his wife to think of, and the glow that began reflecting off of him as soon as Shannon said 'I do' was unmistakable - almost abnormal. It was as if 'Crazy madman Steve Dunham' had been replaced by 'Schoolboy wooed Stevie'; it sure as Hell looked like it.

But well before that, he was a crazed man, driven by genuine love for the world's greatest sport - football. His anger, his love and his downfall all stemmed from his passion for the game, and the more he was bruised, beaten and battered, the more war scars he was able to wear like medallions.

Winona knew it. Winona lived it.

The sight of his tiny two-storey home came into view. It was mediocre; nothing too stand-offish. She guessed it was like Steve in that sense.

She breathed in a big breath of cold London air and let it sit in her throat before exhaling. 'Please, don't be too different' she thought to herself 'Please, be the same good ol' Steve'. For the entirety of the time in between making the decision to go back to England and that moment, she had been riddled with an unpleasant scenario of seeing Steve - scratch that - seeing everything again, and all of it having been completely shifted.

Nonetheless, whoever was in that house by the name of Steve Dunham, she would never know unless she grew a pair and walked to the front door.

"Don't be a pussy" she whispered to herself, finally bringing her feet to move.

Winona knocked on the front door thrice, her hand trembling as she slid it back into her jacket pocket. It became apparent to her just how cold England really was, and how different it was to Australia. Compared to England, she guessed she must have been living three miles from the sun back there, and she wouldn't return to it for anything.

No more had it been than twenty seconds when she realized nobody was coming to answer her. Sighing, she pressed her face against the glass of the door, wiping away the foggy clouds from the surface. Her window eyes travelled this way and that, and her cheeks felt wet from the glass. She predisposed someone was home, seeing as the lights in the kitchen and lounge were switched on, and the warmth of the house made itself known even through the window.

As she noticed an unmistakable shadow appearing behind the arched door jam, she pulled herself away from the glass of the door, her legs suddenly begging to pull a runner. 'Here we go' she thought to herself.

To her relief, a familiar face appeared behind the glass - an attractive, clean-shaven man smiling at her with pearly white teeth and deep blue eyes.

"Nona?" he asked as if he believed she wasn't really there "Nona!" Steve erupted as he realized that she was there - that it was actually her.

...

"Are you fucking joking!?" Ned cackled through the phone.

"Nah, mate. Told her straight up to piss off" Pete kicked a can onto the road as he continued sauntering along the sidewalk.

"You're a brutal cunt, Pete Dunham!" Ned laughed boisterously, forcing Pete to pull the phone away from his ear for a few seconds.

"Aye, Pete" another voice abruptly greeted him through the phone chorused with crackles of static.

"Alright, Bov?" Pete internally laughed, recognizing his rusty smoker voice.

"So, what's all this bollocks I'm hearing about you not shagging that bird from last night?" Bovver nosily asked, clearly already knowing the answer "What the fuck? I picked that one out specially for you" Bovver protested.

"Mate" Pete sighed "She wasn't all that great. Sure, she was fit-"

"Then what the fuck are you having a bitch for?" Bovver chuckled, the sound of him taking a drag of a cigarette becoming familiar to Pete.

"Listen here-"

"Nah, you listen here. You need a shag. No one has the brass balls to tell you, though" Bovver played his 'brutal honesty' card again.

"Hasn't been that long" Pete lied.

"You fucking joking?" Bovver scoffed "Can't remember the last time I saw you take a bird home. Makes me wonder if you're gay or something"

Pete couldn't help but smile at Bovver's laughable persistence.

"I'm not gay, Bov. There's just no one I fancy at the moment" he rubbed his forehead, thinking through ways he could escape the conversation

"You don't need to fancy them, you arsehole. Not if you're only looking to unwind on 'em"

"Oi, I gotta go. I'm heading to Steve's now but I'll meet you at the Abbey-"

"Tell you what, I'll get ya a bird at the Abbey"

"Bov-" Pete stretched his name, hinting at him to piss off.

"You get drinks. Beers for a bird. Whaddyou say?" Bovver insisted.

"Bov, you're breaking up" Pete lied "Bo- brea- up"

"Oh, fuck off, you cock-munching cu-"

Pete snapped his phone shut, an unmistakable grin spread across his clean-shaven face.

Bovver never ceased to cheer Pete up. That being said, there's a hundred and one ways Bovver could make Pete snap like a twig. He guessed that's what being mates was all about - two people knowing each other at their best and worst, and me, oh my did they know just that.

Evidently, when you're a part of a wide-known football firm - living the life of drinking, fighting, bathing in glory, repeat - you see who really has your back, and the lengths you'd go to have theirs. There were no exceptions when it came to his boys, more or less known as the GSE - Green Street Elite. Although Bovver was Pete's closest mate, there wasn't one bloke in the GSE he couldn't rely on. Being the head of the firm just added to Pete's mateship with his boys, but it also added to the possibility of things taking a turn for the worst for him. The fact that he was filling the mighty big shoes of his father and brother at the age of 22 didn't ease the pressure, but Pete was persistent on bringing back the GSE's heightened reputation. Any bloke who got in the way of that would regret that they did.

His thoughts were interrupted at the familiar sound of his phone singing at him, funnily accentuating the caller's desperation.

"Hello?"

"Why'd you hang up on me, arsehole?"

...

"Oh!" Winona yelled in surprise as Steve threw the door open and pulled her into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist and taking in the warmth of her body which he had come to miss. Winona returned his hug, indulging herself in the memories that seemed to flood back at something so simple.

"I'll be damned" Steve muffled into her shoulder. Winona didn't respond, too immersed in their embrace to form a sentence.

She hadn't realized that her feet had left the ground before he began to lower her, and she felt awkward tripping on her own feet as he did so. Letting herself catch her breath again, she loosened her grip on him and allowed herself to take a good look at him up and down.

"Still can't get over the fact that you chopped the mullet off" she giggled as he messed his hair with her hand, earning a boisterous laugh from him.

"And look at you" he exclaimed, grabbing her cold hand and spinning her around "You're a vision, sweetheart. Where the Hell has little Nonny Sommer gone?" he jeered, earning a tight-lipped grin from Winona.

"Still me. Still Nonny Sommer" she giggled, shrugging her shoulders "Without the acne, vivid hormones and schoolgirl mentality" she joked.

She really was a vision. Looking at her up and down, at first Steve thought she was one of those models who came to your door to tell you that you won the lottery. Then, he saw those doe, deep green eyes of hers and he knew just who he was looking at. But, he couldn't believe it. Her light ebony hair had transitioned to dark brown, and her short stature that he had come to love was non-existent anymore. Her black hoodie clung to her tiny waist, and her jeans did the same to her endless legs. He guessed blokes must've been lining up behind her just to get a look.

But, even through her immaculate beauty, she was still Little Nonny to him. No matter how she looked, acted, walked or talked, Nonny Sommer was still there. She was still looking up at him with those big doe, green eyes above freckled cheeks, her long ebony hair still flowing in the wind.

"So, what brings you down here? I hadn't realized Hell had frozen over" he asked through his muse, reminding Winona of the last thing she had said to him - 'I'll come back to England when Hell freezes over'.

"Not yet, Stevie. But, seeing as it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, you're bloody well close" Winona hinted to him to invite her into the house, earning a snicker from him "I hope you're alright with the sudden drop-in, I wanted to surprise you guys" she sputtered, her mouth feeling dry from the cold air.

Steve noticed her typical clean English accent had transitioned to something along the line of Australian and English, and it sounded magnificent.

"Shut up, Nona. Just glad you're here" he said warmly, waving off Winona's comment and issuing her into the house.

Looking about, to Winona it was a house only fit for a family. You wouldn't find a bachelorette painting their walls light lily or deciding whether orchids or sunflowers were more inviting. That wasn't Winona's fitting. This - this was uncomfortable.

"Want something to drink?" he offered, glancing back at her.

"Wouldn't say no to a beer"

Steve chuckled as they sauntered to the kitchen, and was still trying to process the fact that Winona was back in England - back home.

He ripped a bottle of beer from.a sixer whilst Winona pulled herself atop the marble kitchen counter. Her lacking etiquette was always something of a trademark to her, and Steve was somewhat happy it hadn't shifted. Given the fact that Shannon had bet Steve that the next time they saw Winona, she'd be a tad more lady-like.

"Here you are" he smiled as he handed Winona the beer and lied himself against the table opposite her. He snickered internally as Winona twisted the cap of the beer bottle with the flesh of her arm. She really hadn't changed "So, how's Australia going, Nona? Any big scoops?"

"Mm" Winona muffled as she poured the groggy alcohol down her throat "Not too great. I've been stuck reporting things like oil leaks and Africanized bees for the past year"

"I thought you were looking at doing journalism?" he questioned, tilting his head slightly.

"I was - am. But, things haven't panned out as I hoped" she frowned, taking a long gulp of her beer.

A small sympathetic simper spread across Steve's small lips.

"So, are you thinking of staying here? Permanently?" he sputtered.

"Well, I haven't decided yet" Winona paused as she took another gulp of her beer "Guess I'm just hoping life back home'll be good enough to keep me here"

"Is that right?" he said, pursing his lips.

"Guess so" she smiled, looking at her watch "I'm going to head off to the Abbey soon if you're interested" she asked, raising her eyebrow at him.

"The Abbey? Ah, Nona" he said, shaking his head "Haven't been back there in years" she nodded understandably "And are you sure that's the best idea? I mean, going back to the Abbey before the Hammers game. It'll be pretty wild"

"Steve" Winona rolled her eyes and laughed at him "I'm going there for old times sake" she giggled, oblivious to Steve's genuine concern.

"Baby!" a familiar voice called, followed by loud footsteps trailing down the staircase "Who is that?" she called, swinging into the kitchen.

"Winona!" she exclaimed before bolting to Winona and throwing her long arms around her before she could respond.

"Hello to you too, Shan" Winona giggled through a crushed stomach. Shannon's warmth compensated for her unbearable grip on her, and her muffled laughs let Winona know she was happy to see her.

"It's been forever! You look incredible! My god" she exclaimed in her floozy American accent, making almost every 'o' sound like an 'ah'

"What the heck are you doing back here?" Shannon asked.

A harsh round of knocks came from the front door, annoyingly interrupting another conversation.

"'Scuse me" Steve said politely before traipsing to the front door.

"Oh, God" Shannon threw her face into her hands, apperceiving who it was just by the way they knocked on the door.

"What's wrong?"

"Steve's brother. That's what's wrong"

Steve's brother was almost like an urban legend to Winona. She heard stories about him. She saw pictures of him. But, she never met him. That being said, Steve always tried desperately to keep him away from the lifestyle he had grown accustom to. But, that never stopped him from bragging about this 'Pete' fella.

"Ah, I've heard a lot about him" she mused, nodding her head.

"He's not the kind of guy you want to get involved with, Non. Trust me" she lectured.

"He can't be too ba-"

"Oi, Bruv!" a loud voice suspended Winona followed by heavy footsteps that echoed through the house.

"Just don't get involved with him, okay? You're too good for that" Shannon stomped her way out of the kitchen, leaving Winona to herself and a half-empty bottle of beer.

"Wouldn't fancy a beer. Would ya, bruv?" a young man walked into the kitchen and immediately traipsed towards the fridge.

"Doesn't matter what I say. You'll get me one anyways" Steve raised his eyebrows at Winona, and rubbed his forehead in frustration.

Pete cackled at his brother and shoved a bottle of beer into his hands, twisting the cap of his own with his teeth.

It took Winona a while to really see this 'Pete' bloke. He was all over the shop; he was pacing back and forth and turning his body here and there. She could already tell he was uncontainable - exciting. However, when she did get a good look at him, it took her a while to admit to herself his evident attractiveness. His face was handsome - masculine, and his clothes didn't compliment his unobvious muscular physique. But even so, his muscles made themselves known slightly through his dirty cream coat.

"Pete" Steve said firmly, issuing Pete to stop funning about "This is my mate - Winona Sommer" he motioned towards Winona with his head, signalling Pete to look at the girl he had been completely oblivious to.

And boy, did he feel stupid.

She was beautiful - impeccable, with flowing raven hair and piercing green eyes. His baby blue ones instinctively travelled from her clean mahogany brown combat boots and up her long legs covered in blue jeans to her tiny waist, and trailed up her flawless dark chocolate waves and back to her deep emerald eyes. And that moment was the first time she really 'looked' at him with those endless emerald eyes of hers, and it felt incredible for him.

"How are we, love?" Pete managed to let slip.

"Can't complain" her sugary voice responded.

A sudden eruption of high-pitched cries and screams echoed through the house, signalling the distress of Ben - Steve's son.

"Christ" Steve breathed.

"Steve!" Shannon called from above them.

"Coming, babe!" he marched his way out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving Pete and Winona to themselves and each other.

Winona beamed at Pete as she pulled herself atop the marble counter again.

"So, you're the famous Pete Dunham" Winona smirked.

"I'm him. But, don't let the stories fool ya. I'm actually a halfway decent bloke" he joked, taking a gulp of his beer.

"No, no. I believe it. And if rumours are to be believed, you're quite the athlete" she subconsciously flirted, tapping her fingers on the marble.

"Ah, well" he simpered "I've got brother Steve to thank for that"

"Sounds about right. Always been a good teacher, Stevie Dunham" she laughed "Taught me everything I know"

"How unfortunate" Pete joked, forcing his eyes away as he caught himself watching her long legs cross over one another.

"Well" she pulled herself off of the marble counter to the floor "We were all teenagers once"

"I see" Pete laughed "Were we a bit of a troublemaker in our youth, Sommer?"

The way Pete said Winona's last name sent shivers running up her spine - the good kind.

"I'd be lying if I said I was all rainbows and sunshine to me teachers and parents" she giggled, making the same feeling shoot through Pete "And that's Miss Sommer to you, mate" she joked, scolding him with her finger.

He raised his arms in defence and traipsed to the sink, sitting his beer bottle beside it. Winona pulled her watch to her sight and sighed heavily at the time.

"Problem?" she turned to Pete's voice and laughed awkwardly at herself.

"No problem. Just gotta head off to the Abbey soon" she spoke nonchalantly.

The words stood out to Pete as he stared over the sink at the half-dripping tap "Abbey?"

"Hey, Nona" Steve suspended their conversation as he marched into the kitchen with his typical 'chin up, shoulders back' stride in his step. "How would you like to go with Pete here to the Abbey?" he asked abruptly, placing his hand on Pete's wide shoulder.

"Steve" Winona laughed, scraping her hair back with her hand "I think I'll be alright on my own"

"A bird like you goin' up and down East London at this time of day?" Pete said in an unsure tone, pursing his lips at her "You really think that's the best idea?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed at the face Pete was making at her, telling her she's mad. It seemed that the protective nature she constantly saw in Steve ran in the family, and she'd be lying if she said she was over the moon about it.

"I can take care of myself, Pete. Don't worry your pretty arse over me" she blurted out, and she immediately wanted to take the last part back. However, Pete's confidence had sky-rocketed as soon as the words left her lips and it was evident in his simper.

"Well, I don't feel right with you going out by yourself, Nona" Steve broke the awkwardness.

"Steve" she stretched his name whilst giving him a weak push "You know I can handle myself. Have a good time with Shannon" she winked at him.

"I-"

"Have a night in with her" she suggested, making her way out of the kitchen before he could argue "Don't take her to a restaraunt or any of that bollocks and ah, watch Grease! She'll never tell you but it's her favorite film!" she yelled as she reached the front door "Ta!"

The cold air hit Winona's face and hands again without mercy. She stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets, and fiddled with her neck so it was sat warmly inside her jacket collar. Recalling the direction to the station, she followed her nose in what was more than anything, a wild goose chase.

"She always that stubborn, bruv?" Pete asked Steve, still staring blankly at the front door from the door jam, as if expecting her to waltz back into the house.

"You don't know the half of it" Steve laughed, snatching a beer from the fridge and making his way to Pete.

"Why'd you never tell me about her?" he snarled.

"Never came up" Steve lied, twisting off the cap of the beer bottle.

"Bruv, no bloke in the right mind meets a bird like that and doesn't bring it up" he jeered, his back still to Steve.

"You'd be surprised how much doesn't come up when you want to keep your nosy brother out of your business" he lectured Pete, earning a weak glance from him "Tell you what" he said, positioning himself in front of Pete so he was looking at something other than the door "See this?" he asked, holding up a hundred "You catch up with Nona, talk her into going to the Abbey with you and the boys and it's all yours"

Pete tongued the inside of his cheek, thinking over the proposition thoroughly. He was getting a hundred from his brother to chase down a beautiful bird and take her to the pub that she was headed to anyway. Where was the downside? He guessed he would find out soon enough.

Without a word, he snatched the hundred off of Steve and traipsed to the front door.

The cold air Pete had always began to think he had gotten used to hit him like an avalanche, grazing the almost bare skin of his head more than anywhere else.

As he reached the sidewalk, Pete couldn't help but notice a young boy collapse behind a woman - presumably his mother - and graze his knee on the concrete, crying boisterously.

"Fuck me" he almost shouted, helping the toddler to his feet "Ma'am!"

The middle-aged woman spun around to him and ran to her son's side, her heels clicking on the concrete.

"He just fell over, love. No problem" he said as she took her sons hand in hers.

"Thank you very much" she thanked politely before walking off with her crying son, scolding him as if it were his fault.

Dealing with kids had always been a specialty to Pete. But, dealing with women; that was a different ball court.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he trailed his eyes up and down the long sidewalk.

Fortunately, he caught sight of a familiar slender figure; her trademark waist and legs immediately gave her away. With a deep breath, he chased after her, his head running over scenarios that could take place in the minutes to come.

"Oi, Sommer!"

She spun to her name, giddy with excitement at the sight of Pete. The gait in his jog told her that he was an athlete, and even behind his jeans, his leg muscles made themselves known.

"Where're you off to?" Pete asked when he finally reached her, standing a close distance from her.

"The Abbey?" she raised her eyebrows at him and parted her hands through her jacket pocket.

"Is that right?" he raised his eyebrow at her "Tube is in the other direction" he said, motioning his elbow up the sidewalk and simpering proudly.

"Well" Winona laughed, pushing her fringe back with her hands "Good to know" she cursed at herself inside her head as she made her way passed Pete.

Pete noticed as the wind fought against her, making her wavy hair blow gracefully behind her. As she sauntered passed him, the unfamiliar yet enticing scent of her hair hit Pete mercilessly, throwing him off for a split second. He wondered how she can get such impeccable beachy-type hair in the not-so-beachy weather that was constantly over East London.

"Alright?" she snapped him out of his muse.

"Tell you what. Ten minutes. A pint on me" he suggested, turning to her and smirking at her insistently "If you don't like it, you can drink to your hearts content and not hear a peep out of me"

Seconds passed as Winona thought it over. Pete seemed like a nice enough guy; a nice guy and attractive as all Hell. One pint wouldn't be so bad, and he seemed to have plenty of confidence in his ability to deliver the goods. Then again, Winona hardly knew him. Sure, Steve bragged about his 'smart-as-fuck, monster athlete' of a brother. But, it wasn't the same, and it didn't help that Shannon's words still stung in her ears - 'He's not the kind of guy you want to get involved with, Non. Trust me'. Shannon meant well - a bit too well. And still, there was something about the bloke that interested Winona... said the naive kid about the friendly man offering candy.

'Well' Winona thought to herself 'You never know unless you try'

"Fuck it" she shrugged "I'll go with you"


	2. Chapter Two : Cheering and Jeering

**Chapter Two : Jeering and Cheering**

"You're a teacher?" Winona questioned Pete "Bollocks"

"You reckon? I'm a natural with kids" he assured, simpering at her under-estimation of him.

Winona took a long, hard look at Pete, wondering how in the Hell this 6"something brawler - known to have the anger of a lion on it's period - could have enough patience to be 'a natural with kids'. Guilt suddenly struck her as she realized she was paying more attention to the Pete she had heard of than the Pete right in front of her. It didn't quell her guilt that the Pete right in front of her was being so lovely and charming.

Winona and Pete were sauntering their way to the Abbey from the tube, and conversations were all over the shop, not that either of them were complaining. A certain spark kept the uncomfortable fact that they had only met a good hour ago at bay. Still, the 'what if's' made themselves known in Pete's hazed mind.

"How about you?" Pete asked, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets and rolling the material inwards so the warmth enclosed his hand.

"Me?" she spat "I'm terrible with kids"

"Nah" Pete chuckled "I mean, what do you do to get the bees?" he questioned, rubbing his fingers together in front of her.

"Ah, right" she laughed, slapping his hand away from her face "I bought some space to turn into a record store. Wasn't really the plan but you know how it is" she shrugged.

"What _was_ the plan?" Pete glanced at her.

"Sports journalism" she said quietly, apperceiving his reaction.

"Ah-huh" Pete sighed, suppressing the lump in his throat "A journo, aye?"

"Yeah, a journo" Winona snarled "A dwelling bottom feeder who would stab a homeless to fill papers" she berated herself.

Pete raised his eyebrows at her, an apparent confusion on his youthful face.

"Don't look so surprised, Dunham" Winona giggled at his face, stuffing her hands back into her jacket pockets "I know what you hooligans think of people like that"

"People like that?" Pete repeated, glancing at her humorously "Well, funnily enough, us _hooligans_ generally like this 'sport' you speak of"

"Generally?" she laughed "You blokes run on the bloody thing"

"Says the bird who's aspirations revolve around 'the bloody thing'" Pete exaggerated Winona's sugary voice, earning a wide offended smile from her.

"I don't sound like that!" she detested, pushing his shoulder weakly with her hand.

He wasn't one to tell her, but he enjoyed listening to her mixed accent.

"My bad" he simpered, evidently amused with himself.

By this point, Pete had established that Winona wasn't some hollow bird. Without knowing her too well, he _did_ know she was humorous, opinionated, clumsy and awkward. It was a nice refreshment from the females who would commonly have a shot at him; women he would consider bringing home for one night, but never, not on his life, to his family.

"So, Winona Sommer" the name rolled off of his tongue "What's a young bird like you doing hanging around Stevie Dunham?"

"Ah" she sighed "We're mates" she spoke quickly, beginning to notice the Abbey as they continued down the pavement.

"Yeah, I know that much" he pried "But, what's the back story and all?"

Winona rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, desperately trying to avoid the conversation.

"Alright?" Pete asked, snapping Winona out of her muse "If I'm being a nosy prick, just tell me" he half-smiled at her, knowing how to take a hint.

"There's just not much to tell, you know" she shrugged. Pete internally punched himself for sticking his foot in it. There was obviously something she didn't want to tell him. He guessed he understood. They had only met a good hour ago, and he was lucky enough to convince her to go to the Abbey with him. He didn't want to stretch his luck.

"So" Winona abruptly broke the awkward silence "Who's the boys I'll be meeting, aye?" she gave a tight-lipped smile to Pete.

"Bunch of soppy cunts but couldn't live without 'em" he laughed at the thought, earning a giggle from Winona.

"Guessing you're close, then"

"Can't even begin to explain it" he shook his head and glanced at her "Been through Hell and back is all. Love 'em dearly"

"Right" she laughed.

"Probably sounding like a proper gay boy now" he laughed, scraping his face with his hand.

"Bit proper" she jeered, earning a boisterous laugh from Pete.

"Oi-"

"I'll say" a rusty voice suspended Pete "That's Petey Dunham for ya. Always playing the catcher"

Winona snapped her head to the voice, to a scrawny, white bloke with longish oily brown hair. His mouth was enclosing the end of a cigarette and his tired eyes burned into her body.

"Oi, Bov!" Pete greeted him, slapping his arms around him. From behind Pete's shoulder, Bovver still eyed Winona with those dopey blue eyes of his, and it forced Winona to look away.

"This me oldest mate, Bovver. He'll grow on ya" Pete cheerfully introduced this 'Bovver' character.

Winona didn't think much of the discomfort that abruptly came over her after meeting Bovver, or at least tried. 'Appearances' she thought 'Stop being a judgemental twat'

"And this is?" Bovver questioned.

"Winona Sommer" Winona answered, holding out her hand "How you going?"

He took his cigarette from his mouth and flicked it in a random direction before shaking her hand tightly. The warmth of her hand made Bovver wonder if the rest of her body was as warm, and unlike an oblivious Winona, Pete could pick Bovver's intentions a mile off.

They made their way into the Abbey, quickly creaking open the door, and an abundance of indistinguishable cheers welcomed Bovver and Pete.

Winona examined the worn down pub. It hadn't changed a bit; it was still gloomy, still brown, still cozy and filled with good-time blokes and birds. It reminded her of one of the reasons she was so desperate to come back to England - reliving the memories.

"Oi! Oi!" Pete greeted his mates, slapping his hand into theirs one by one, and they all greeted him and Bovver indistinguishably.

"All right, boys? This is Winona, one of Steve's old mates. That there playing pool is Keith and Ike" he said, pointing to two bulky men, one with an amusing haircut.

"G'day, boys" she greeted.

"And that old geezer is Dave" he joked, earning a middle finger from Dave.

"And Swill and Ned"

"Hello"

Winona indulged herself in the fact that she was finally able to sit down.

"Nona, mate!" a familiar voice called.

"Terry!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the elderly man over the bar bench "Fuck, Ter. You're still working at this shitbox?" she jeered.

"C'mon, Non. You used to love this shitbox" a smirk appeared on the familiar wrinkles on his pale face.

"Only because you turned a blind eye on me - a sixteen year old - getting pissed out of my tree" she accused, poking his chest with her manicured fingers and laughing.

"Look at 'em fucking talons!" he issued at her manicured nails "Was afraid you'd tear me eyes out before I asked for your fucking ID" he laughed boisterously "So, what the bloody Hell are you doing back here? Hadn't realized Hell had frozen over"

"Might as well strip naked for you right now, you cunt" Dave said blandly to Pete.

"You what?" he questioned, turning to Dave with a laughable disgust on his face.

"Finally, I fucking got your attention!" Dave laughed, tipping the last of his beer down his throat.

"Sorry?"

"That stunner of a bird over there" he said, motioning to her with his glass "You ain't stop staring at her since youse walked through the door"

"Bollocks" Pete detested unconvincingly, crossing his arms in front of him. Dave raised his eyebrows at him, knowing Pete better than the image he plays on.

"I mean, she's fit and all. But, it's not like I got a chance" Pete grumbled.

"Lookie here, mate" he said whilst pulling out his wallet from his pocket with his free hand. He flipped it open to a worn out photo of him and a pretty redhead, smiling annoyingly big "That is exactly what I said when I set eyes on this thing o' beauty. Now look at us, mate"

Pete agreed, knowing Dave's calmness, his patience and his general sanity stemmed from his girlfriend, and the same way back.

Dave was a good mate to Pete, and a bloody wise one at that. Unlike Bovver, Dave kept Pete in line; told him when he was getting too out of hand. As oppose to Bovver, who would cheer on Pete to deck a bastard and bash their head in.

"Come on" Dave said, motioning Pete to follow him "So, where'd ya come from, love?" Dave asked when approaching Winona.

"Australia" she beamed. 'Ah' Pete thought 'That explains a lot'

"Aw, Straya! How did we not see that?" Ned pitched in, taking a quick drag of his cigarette.

"She ain't got the blonde hair and blue eyes, mate" Swill defended.

"Nah, the accent, arsehole, the accent" he turned to Winona "I'm sorry if we're the biggest dumb fucks you've ever met"

"Nah, don't worry. I've met worse" she laughed, waving off his comment.

"She's talking about you, mate" Dave elbowed Pete, causing Winona, Ned and Swill to erupt in laughter.

"Oi, I don't see you bringing any fit birds to the Abbey" Swill commented, winking at Winona.

"Swill, mate. You're making the poor girl feel uncomfortable" Dave said, putting his arm around Winona's shoulder.

"Bloody skirt chaser, this one" Ned mocked, pointing his cigarette at Swill "You need a bird of your own, don'tcha?"

"Speaking of bird of your own" Swill turned to Pete, transitioning the conversation to him "Aw, yeah. How was that blonde bird from last night, Petey?" Swill asked "She was a good find, mate"

Pete met Winona's eyes for a moment and forced himself away "As I told Ned over the phone" he snarled at Ned "I told her to sod off, mate. I wasn't interested"

"Why the fuck didn't you say so? I could've had my shot at the blasted thing" Ned protested, slapping the table beside him.

"Oi! Ain't your business if Pete isn't interested in shagging hollow birds like some proper mugs I know" Dave jeered.

"You're just saying that cause you're chained and bored!" Swill defended, laughing as Ned chuckled through his cigarette.

"Aw, you're a fucking Jester!" Dave laughed, pushing Swill's shoulder.

"Alright. Alright." Pete chuckled, making his way to Winona passed the debating men"How about that pint?" he laughed, issuing Terry to bring two beers "Sorry about the lads. They get a tad bitchy after a few" he laughed, crossing his arms on the bar bench.

"I'm not complaining" she said, smiling at him and pulling her hair over one shoulder, exposing her soft-looking neck. Pete found himself wondering how this woman could possibly be available. 'Is the male race really that stupid?' he thought.

And that's when it hit him - Dave was right. Sure, he didn't know her well at all. But the comfortableness and the obvious spark that lit between them; it wasn't just shits and giggles. There was more to this and he knew she knew it.

"One drink" her voice snapped him out of his muse "That's all I promised" she smiled at him again before holding up her glass and tapping it on his "Cheers"

**_Author's Note: Sorry it took so long for me to upload this! But, I got a few chapters done and I'll just space them out a bit and upload them as soon as I can! Thanks heaps xx_**

**_Reviews would be great !_**


	3. Chapter Three : The Dumb Girl

**Chapter Three: The Dumb Girl in the Movies**

"I'm Westham 'til I die!" the men in the Abbey chanted in a respectable sync, considering their evident intoxication.

"I'm Westham 'til I die!"

Some way, somehow, Winona had ended up on top of the bar bench with Bovver. She guessed it was the adrenalin rush of being back in the Abbey. A more likely theory is that she used it as an excuse to let her hair down and go wild, a luxury she hadn't experienced for many years.

"I know I am!

I'm sure I am!

I'm Westham 'til I die!"

From the back of the Abbey, Pete, Dave, Keith and Swill watched on at Winona and Bovver, and how Bovver was loving every second of having his arm around Winona's small waist. It wasn't difficult to see the way Bovver was looking at Winona, but only Dave could see that she wasn't looking back. But, Pete - Pete was angry. He knew Bovver like the back of his hand and Bovver knew Pete farts and all. He was making this a game that Pete wasn't going to play, if he could help it. That being said, he knew if he didn't, he might not get the chance with Winona he knew he deserved.

"I'm forever blowing bubbles!"

Even in his mild frustration, Pete couldn't fight the Hammer within him.

"Pretty bubbles in the air!" he chanted along.

"They fly so high!

They reach the sky!

And like my dreams, they fade and die!

Fortune's always hiding!

I've looked everywhere!

I'm forever blowing bubbles!

Pretty bubbles in the air!

United! United!"

Winona wasn't as oblivious as Pete thought to Bovver's obvious attraction to her, which made her wonder why she had gotten on the table with him in the first place. She wasn't one to lead someone on. Yet desperate to not be the killer of her own buzz, she blamed it on the alcohol.

"Snog!" a familiar voice jeered from the crowd.

"Shut up, Swill" Pete elbowed Swill, tensing his eyebrows at him.

"Snog!" another voice carried out of Pete's reach.

"Snog! Snog! Snog!" more voices chorused. In a matter of seconds, almost everyone in the Abbey was cheering the two on; everyone except Dave and Pete. Dave saw in Pete's eyes how much he wanted to deck Bovver right there and then, but kept his mouth shut.

Bovver turned himself to Winona, wrapping his other arm around her waist. He didn't realize just how slim she was until he did this, and the alcohol eating at his liver made her glow even more; as if it wasn't enough. She had the body straight out of a magazine, and the thought enticed him even more so.

"Get 'em, Bov!" Ned called, earning a death stare from Pete.

"Get in there, son!" Keith cheered.

Winona stared at the crowd and at the table beneath them; everywhere but Bovver.

"Aye, sweetheart" Bovver said quietly but loud enough for her to hear. She finally looked up at him, and she knew that look in his eyes.

"Wh-" before she could protest, he forced his chafed lips onto hers. Her eyes were wide open for a second, and then they closed.

From the back of the Abbey, Pete gazed on at Bovver and Winona, a self-explanatory disgust on his face. The cheering and jeering had become almost non-existent to him, and it was very hard for him to feel happy for Bovver as he normally would. Pete pressed his eyes closed and tongued the inside of his cheek as he noticed Bovver's hand slowly leaving her waist and making it's way to her back jeans pocket.

Winona quickly pulled away at the feel of his hand, and Bovver knew he had crossed the line, but didn't care much.

"On ya, Bov!" drunken voices called to him. Winona jumped off the table, landing safely on the ground. Behind her, Bovver plastered a proud look on his face, nodding at his evidently impressed friends whilst Winona treaded nervously to Pete, worried about how she might appear to him after that spectacle.

"You're alright, love" Dave laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and making Winona feel a lot more at ease.

She avoided Pete's eyes, still tasting Bovver on her lips; an unpleasant combination of cigarettes and alcohol. To make matters worse, she could still feel him inside her mouth, forcing the passion and desperately attempting to dominate. It's ridiculous how much something as simple as a kiss can say something about a person.

...

A cold wind hit Winona on the skin of her neck and face as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Pete laughed to himself as he already began noticing that Winona and the cold don't mix.

"Okay, well-" her voice snapped him back to reality "Enjoy the game, aye?" she smiled big, facing herself to him.

"Always do" he smiled a tight-lipped smile, the vivid image of Bovver crashing his lips onto Winona's still replaying itself in Pete's mind "You sure you're alright getting to yours on your own?"

"For the hundredth time, yes" she reassured, rolling her eyes "Is it so hard for you Dunham's to believe that I can walk around the corner without holding your hand?" she joked, nudging his shoulder with her hand.

"S'your funeral" he shrugged, simpering at her and earning a middle finger.

"Nice meeting everyone!" she beamed at all the men behind Pete, earning a jumble of indistinguishable goodbyes from them. She laughed to herself before giving a final nod to Pete and turning herself in the opposite direction.

As she traipsed along the empty sidewalk, she wondered if she would see Pete again. He was definitely someone she would be interested in spending more time with; she wondered if he felt the same about her. He was charming and down-to-Earth, as cliche as it may sound. And she had established that he was far more than a pretty face (and body), and Winona could already sense that there was more to him, again, as cliche as it may sound.

To Winona's surprise, an unnerving feeling overcame her body, forcing her to abruptly spin around to the empty sidewalk behind her. No one was there.

She shrugged the feeling off and continued walking along the pathway, subconsciously clenching her knuckles in her jacket pockets.

The unnerving feeling returned again mercilessly, and once again forced her to spin around to nothing but a soulless sidewalk.

Riddled with franticness, she chose to take a shortcut to her apartment complex. She nonchalantly treaded quick-footed through a dim alleyway, and hypocritically ignored her past rants about the 'dumb girl in the movies who always runs down the dark ominous alleyways'.

Before she could reach the familiar street at the end of the alleyway, a calloused hand collided her into the wall by her neck, a loud, piercing scream erupting from her beforehand.

"Hello, sweetheart" an ugly white man chuckled through mangy teeth, surrounded by chafed lips and a stubble-covered face "What's a thing like you doing with the GSE?"

**_Author's note - Thanks for reading so far and sorry it was so short. I hope you're enjoying it and chapter Four will be up soon. Also, thank you for the reviews! It means a lot _****_J_**


	4. Chapter Four : Weakness

**Chapter Four : Weakness**

"Oi" Bovver greeted Pete, flicking his cigarette in a random direction.

"Aye" Pete greeted him blandly, unsubtly avoiding looking at Bovver. Bovver pursed his lips and shoved his hands into his pockets, apperceiving Pete's behaviour.

"I take it you're not too thrilled about what happened back at the Abbey" he asked, glancing at him questionably "With that Winona bird"

'That Winona bird' Pete thought. That's all Bovver thought of her.

Admittedly, Pete knew Bovver would shag anything in a skirt; it was one of his infamous traits. But, he had never gone near a bird he knew Pete was keen on, or at least tried not to.

"You're not stupid, Bov" he grumbled, clenching his fists inside his jacket pockets.

"And you're not, either" Bov spat, earning a confused and warning look from Pete "So, you fancy her, aye?" he asked, earning a shrug from Pete "And what are you going to do about it?"

Pete didn't respond, not knowing himself.

"Right" Bovver grumbled "So who's to say-"

A paralysing scream suspended their conversation and tread. Pete froze in place, the noise still echoing in his ears and completely clouding his mind. He wondered if it was his conscience that heard the sound of her - Winona.

"What the fuck was that?" Dave asked, rushing to Pete's side.

Without responding, Pete bolted down the street, making his way back to where they came from.

Bovver and Dave issued a few of the blokes to follow them and Pete.

...

"Please" Winona managed to slip behind her crushed throat.

"Oh, fuck me!" Frankie face palmed himself with his free hand "Where's me manners? I'm Frankie – a dear friend of the GSE's" he issued to himself "This here is Louie, Henry and Otto – also acquaintances of the GSE" he issued to each of them "But Henry here" he pointed to a chubby pale man wearing a blue beanie and a dirty Arsenal shirt "He's a special acquaintance with- what's his name?"

"Ned" Henry spat, pulling the beanie from over his forehead, exposing a fresh-looking scar running from his hairline to his eyebrow.

"So" Frankie boisterously laughed, looking at her up and down "Tell me again, what are you doing hanging around the GSE, aye?"

He loosened his grip on her throat enough so she could talk.

"They're-" she gagged, trying to catch her breath "My mates"

"Mates?" he spat, earning a chorus of laughter from the men behind him"From where we was standing you seemed to be getting a bit too cozy with Petey to just be mates"

Her eyes widened as she realized they had been watching them - her.

"You were watching-" her voice was suspended as he enclosed his hand around her throat again.

"So" he stretched the word "It seems naive little Petey doesn't know what's he's got" berating chuckles billowed through the group of men "Being the gentlemen we are, I reckon we should show Petey just how much he's missing out on"

"Don't" she repeated, tears beginning to form in her emerald eyes as she tried to breathe.

"Listen" he snarled, bringing his face centimetres from Winona's "I don't think you're in the position to be giving orders here, missy. So, how's about you shut your trap?"

With that, he threw her to the concrete ground, her forehead pounding against the ground and a loud breath finally escaping her. She clenched her warm and sore throat, trying to regain stability in her breathing. Malevolent laughter echoed in her ears as she writhed vulnerably on the ground.

"Hurt yourself, did ya?" Frankie cackled before bending over to pull her up by her shirt.

"Fra-"Louie's word was cut short by Bovver throwing his tensed fist across Louie's face, sending him crashing onto the wall.

Pete's fist collided with Frankie's face and a splatter of blood escaped his mouth. He ignored the pain in his hand to throw another across Frankie's cheek, sending him to the ground metres away from Winona.

She scrambled to her feet as anarchy broke out between the two groups. She attempted to stand, a sore in her head making itself known as she arose.

Ned was laying punches down on Henry, groaning furiously which every hit he threw. \

A few meters away from him, a vicious fight broke out between Frankie and Pete, an unmistakable rage in Pete's eyes. Frankie ran at Pete, colliding his shoulder into Pete's stomach as he took him to the ground.

An infuriated Winona couldn't merely stand by and watch. Winona ran at the two men, intent on giving Frankie what was coming to him by her own hands.

"No!" Dave subdued Winona, arriving just in time before she could get involved with Frankie "It's not worth it! Let Pete take care of him!" Dave muffled through her shoulder.

Pete threw a mighty punch to Frankie's right cheek, sending blood shooting out of his mouth and sending his body to the ground. Pete quickly threw himself onto the vulnerable man and threw another punch to his opposite cheek with the same velocity as his previous hit. His mind fogged out as he continued to throw his fist across the man's face without mercy, completely oblivious to the pain ringing out of his knuckles. He furiously threw his forehead onto Frankie's nose, hearing a crack, but nonchalantly continuing.

"Pete!" a familiar feminine voice - evidently riddled with fear and horror - caught his ear "Pete! Stop!" she screamed at him, draining the adrenalin rush from his body.

At first he didn't listen, and continued to throw a furious punch to Frankie's face, the sound of his teeth cracking under Pete's fists.

The sound of hurried footsteps was only processed in the part of his brain that wasn't tranced in his furious adrenalin rush, and the thought of stopping his assault was yet to become an option.

"Pete!" he felt the woman's voice closer to him, and a small hand tugging at his shoulder "Pete, it's the police!"

The words processed in his mind and despite his immeasurable rage that he could have happily painted onto Frankie's face, he quickly lifted himself off of the broken man's body before grabbing Winona's wrist and running as fast as he could alongside the few members of the GSE. Whilst running alongside the athletic Pete, Winona glanced behind at two policemen and a policewoman handcuffing Frankie and two of his henchmen. The last one had escaped undoubtedly to get recruits for another fight.

The group consisting of Bovver, Ike, Keith, Swill, Ned, Dave, Pete and Winona stopped at a door jam in an alleyway which smelled like a pisser. Winona attempted to regain her faculties as the men were attempting to regain their breath, Ned darting his eyes everywhere for signs of trouble.

Minutes passed and the sound of sirens faded out into the British air, finally allowing the group to step back onto the street. Pete's eyes travelled up and down the street and back to Winona, still standing in the door jam.

"Hey" Pete said blandly, not sure on what to say. He lifted his hand out and she stared at it, tensing her eyebrows at the blood peeking from his torn knuckles. She ignored it and took his hand, allowing him to guide her back her onto the street.

"Are you alright?" he asked, rubbing his thumb on the bloody part of her forehead.

"I'm alright" she said, fighting the pain that was invited at the feel of his hand on her wound.

"Bollocks" he said, seeing through her act "I'll take you to the hospital"

"No" she immediately detested, pushing his hand away "I mean-" she closed her eyes and caught her breath, still trying to compose herself "I promise, I'm alright" she smiled a tight-lipped smile, trying her best to convince Pete.

She stared up at him with her doe emerald eyes, flicking a switch inside of Pete's mind that inadvertently infuriated him. Pete wondered how anyone – even a sick fuck like Frankie – could be so cowardly and have a mind so polluted to have four grown men gang up on someone so innocuous and benevolent – someone like Winona.

Pete paced in frustration, turning his back to Winona and rubbing his head with his hands.

"Fuck!" he screamed into the air, making Winona jump a bit. However, she wasn't surprised Pete reacted the way he did at what Frankie had done. She had finally seen the Pete Dunham she had heard of, and she wasn't as intimidated as she initially assumed she would be.

"It's alright, Pete" she assured, standing in front of him so he was looking her in the eye "This isn't the first time this has happened and it sure as hell won't be the last"

Pete wanted to ask what the back story to that was, but he had bigger things to worry about.

"Yes, it will" he said sharply, turning to Dave "It'll be the last time Frankie and those fucking Arsen-holes try and lay a hand on any fucking one of us" he said to the men. They all nodded to each other, cracking their fingers and rolling up their sleeves.

"Saw one of 'em little cunts heading down a street a bit from here" Keith informed.

"Little fuck thinks some pussy reinforcements gonna help him out, I reckon" Bovver cackled, earning agreeing chuckles "How's about we make him see what real reinforcements are, aye?"

At that cue, Swill bolted off to recruit the rest of the GSE.

"Alright then. Let's get those cunts" Winona smirked, punching her fist into her open hand.

Berating chuckles undulated through the group of men, elbowing each other to stop laughing as they noticed Winona's face.

"Something funny then?" she raised her eyebrows at them, placing her hands on her hips "Well?"

"It's nothing, love" Ned slipped through his chuckles "It's just-"

"Just?" she snarled.

"It's just" Pete saved Ned, who was beginning to descend back into laughter the more he looked at her "We don't want you getting hurt" he simpered, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I can handle myself just fine" she spat, slapping his hand away "What? You reckon I can't?' she snapped, tensing her eyebrows as the blokes became more rowdy the angrier she got.

"It's not that" Pete rolled his eyes at her, earning a slant-eyed glare from her "I just reckon you should go home. Make yourself a cuppa"

"Am I wearing a spring frock? I don't want a cuppa" she snarled, causing uncontrollable laughter to roar from the group of blokes.

"If you don't have her, I will" Ned joked in Pete's ear, earning an elbow to the stomach.

"Look" Pete spoke seriously, taking a step forward so his face was only centimetres from hers "I don't want the boys to know, but I'd feel a lot better if you sat this one out. If you got hurt again-" He didn't continue, looking away from her emerald eyes, the image of Winona writhing on the ground beginning to enrage him again "Matter of fact, I'll take you home myself"

"No!" Winona immediately detested, subconsciously pushing Pete away from her "The boys need you there! You cannot be serious!"

"Yeah, Pete. What the fuck, mate? Don't you want to get your hands on those coward fucks?" Bovver questioned, showcasing the general consensus of the group.

Pete looked at the boys with apathy and back at Winona with empathy.

"Well, Bov. Here's the thing. Last time we let her go home by herself, it didn't fucking go well, now did it?" Pete snarled, turning his full body to Bovver.

"He's right, Pete" Winona agreed from behind Pete, making him turn back to her with an 'are you fucking mad' look on his bruised face "Pete, all the Arsenal boys will be waiting for you in the opposite direction of my place"

"I'm not taking that risk again" Pete insisted.

"I'll take her" Dave abruptly suggested, raising her hand behind the group "Soon as I know she's sound, I'll catch up with you lads" He walked up to Winona and Pete.

"Dave" Winona shook her head "I can't ask you-"

"You don't have to" Dave chuckled "What's another old geezer in a fight anyways, right?" he joked, earning small chuckles from the group. Pete looked at Dave, then at Winona and back at Dave.

"Can't thank you enough, mate" Pete said, raising his hand out to Dave.

"How's about you kick those Arsenal mugs all the way back to shit cocker, aye?" he laughed, shaking his hand firmly.

"Better fucking believe it" Pete assured, slapping his hand on Dave's back before issuing the boys to continue down the street "And I'm coming to see you tomorrow" Pete quickly said to Winona, throwing a hypnotizing smile at her.

She caught her breath and reminded herself to speak.

"Okay" was all she could let slip at his hypnotizing gaze staring back at her and they could both hear the weakness in her voice, but they both assumed it was there for different reasons.


	5. Chapter Five : Bobby Darin

**Chapter Five: Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee**

**6 years earlier…**

"That fucking ref was on the Yids payroll from the first second the cunts waltzed onto the grounds, I'm telling you!" a furious Mark ranted to the group of seven men amidst the few conversations taking place.

"And even so, that free kick was a fucking disgrace!" Terry responded with a parallel irritation as he threw his face into his hands.

"Why you boys winging, aye?" Steve intruded into the conversation "You complaining as if we just lost or something! Jesus, the lot of you" Steve leaned back on his seat, scanning his eyes up and down the train carriage.

"Yeah, mate. It was a solid win for us but we just banging on about how the Yids can't take a loss that, let's be fucking honest, is inevitable. Am I right?" Paul rebutted, earning agreeing nods from a few of the men "I mean, if you're fucked, you're fucked. But them twats just can't take it lying down" chuckles resonated through the group.

They all knew it was true; Tottenham's firm held the reputation of being cowardice, conniving moles, and the game of which the GSE has just witnessed didn't stagger their infamous name in the least.

After a good few drinks at the Abbey, seven members of the GSE were headed home. Among them was the leader of the renowned firm, Steve Dunham. Renowned and infamous in some circles, his reputation most certainly preceded him as a vicious brawler as well as the staunch head of one of London's most dangerous firms.

His striking blue eyes travelled up and down the carriage and out the windows as the train began to come to a halt at another platform. As always he was conspicuously searching for a glimpse of his adversaries from the stadium, and any opportunity for him to make his and his boys' indignation known to them.

Instead, into the carriage walked a completely unremarkable teenage girl, evidenced as a teenage girl through her high school uniform and her wearied state of appearance. Her emerald eyes widened as she caught sight of the group of men only a few seats from where she had entered. She froze in place for a split second as she made eye contact with Steve before continuing down the carriage in the opposite direction.

She walked quick-footed through the train carriage, seeing empty seats all around her as she walked but intentionally and quite obviously making her way to the next empty carriage. She could feel the unavoidable presence of the group of seated bantering men behind her, and could sense at least of them eyeing her. She could tell from the smell of beer exuding from the group as well as the Westham shirts they were so blithely donned in that they had just come back from a football match, and knowing how British men could be after their football, she had no intention of communicating with them.

She pushed her light brown hair away from her face as she slid the door open to the next carriage and made her way through, the daunting sound of the train doors closing echoing in her ears. As she closed the door behind her, she took a deep breath of relief and turned to make her way further down the carriage. Her eyes, once again, widened and her pale hand squeezed one strap of her backpack as she caught sight of the men boarding the next carriage in front of her. Even from all the way at the opposite end of the carriage, she could see through the tiny and unclean window. An unmistakable group of men had boarded the train, and she quickly caught a lump in her throat.

Thinking hastily, she almost threw her body onto the seat closest to the wall of the carriage and squeezed her headphones tighter over her ears.

Steve was too busy watching the spectacle through the carriage window in front of him – a teenage girl having a frantic fit on the train – to realize the much more significant spectacle taking place two carriages down. He smirked at the girl as she darted her eyes from side to side in front of her before her hair fell in front of her face.

She blasted her Walkman to its highest volume as her peripheral vision caught sight of the men making their way through one carriage to hers.

_"Just a small town girl"_ the song played,

_"Living in a lonely world, _

_She took the midnight train going anywhere" _

Even through the song, she could hear the mens drunken voices and could feel them becoming nearer and nearer.

_"Just a city boy,_

_Born and raised in South Detroit,_

_He took the midnight train going anywhere" _

She tightened her eyelids as she felt the shadow of a man over her hunched body and even through the instrumentals of the song, heard his cockney voice and his sharp tongue speak to her.

"Evening, sweetheart"

**6 years later… **

Winona's eyelids fluttered open at the peers of light streaming through her blinds.

Rubbing her eyes with one hand and pulling her blanket over her bare chest with another, she took a brief moment to comprise what faculties she had so early in the day, and tried to remember just what went down the day before. For some reason, Dave immediately came to mind. His wholesome smile along with his reassuring words before he left her apartment the day before really left her with something to remember – 'Don't think we see you as some sort of damsel in distress, love. We're just looking out for you as we would with any of our boys'

As much as Winona wanted to believe it was true, she could tell by the way the boys looked at her after she had gotten jumped just what they thought of her – delicate, vulnerable and weak. This was the most obvious in Pete.

Winona directed her eyes to her alarm clock – 1:31pm.

After sighing to herself, she slowly and sluggishly sat up in her bed, feeling an immediate headache being especially non-sparing on her head wound. Conveniently, she was distracted by her phone lighting up on her night stand. She reached over to the phone with her free hand and flipped it open, feeling a smile slowly overcome her face as she realized who it was.

"Hello?"

"Morning, sunshine. It's Pete" his smile could be heard in his voice.

"Morning, Dunham" she beamed back, holding her blanket tighter over her bare chest as if he was in the room with her.

"Don't tell me you just got up" he poked.

"Alright, I won't"

"Don't you have a record store to run, Miss. Sommers?"

Winona smiled at the fact that Pete remembered such a small detail in their varied conversation from the previous day.

"Don't you have students to teach, Mr. Dunham?" she rebutted.

"Last I remembered, school ain't on Sundays" he quipped.

It had completely slipped Winona's mind that it was a Sunday; or rather it was just her excuse for not being the best at banter.

"Well, to answer your question, Pete" she trailed back "You have to set up a record store before you can run it"

"Right. So you got an extra broom-" he paused "-or mop? Or whatever you birds use nowadays?" a smirk could be heard in Pete's voice.

Winona held the phone to her chest, half sighing at his relentless spontaneity and half catching her breath realizing she was going to see him again.

"Pete, you really don't have to" she assured after putting the phone back to her ear.

"Aye, got nothing else to do" he shrugged.

"Boy, you really know how to make a girl feel special" she joked, raising her eyebrow "I should probably clean myself up a bit then, aye?" she teased, earning a chuckle from Pete.

"Nah, love, I like the bigfoot look as much as the next 22 year old bloke" he joked back "But, I understand if you'd want to do your nails and such before my arrival" he modestly bantered.

"Well, you're no Bobby Darin but I'm sure I can class it up for you" they both laughed at the thought "See you soon then, Brando" she giggled.

"See ya later, Mrs. Robinson"

With a final beep, she closed her phone before opening it back up again to text him her address.

Winona believed there was always some truth in humor and she could feel that whenever she talked to Pete.

And like she said, he wasn't no Bobby Darin, but he was definitely someone who made her feel like Sandra Dee.

**_Author's note: I know this took forever and it isn't an amazing chapter but I've had massive writer's block and I didn't want to squeeze too much into one chapter. Hope you enjoyed it nevertheless! _**


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